Contents

In the 1920s, residents of villages like Madhoganj, Jaisingh Pura and Raja ka Bazaar evacuated to build Connaught Place and nearby areas, were relocated in Karol Bagh to the West, then a rocky area populated by trees and wild, bushes.[2]

The area was primarily residential with a large Muslim population until the exodus of many Muslims to Pakistan and an influx of refugees from West Punjab after partition in 1947,[3] many of whom were traders. There remains a sizeable Marathi, Tamil-speaking population.[4] Karol Bagh was also home to a large Bengali community, and has one of the oldest Durga Puja in the city, though their numbers have now increased many folds most of them working as jewelers.

Several incidents were reported at Karol Bagh in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, including burning of shops.[5] Karol Bagh was the target of a terrorist attack in October 2008 when a there was a bomb blast in Ghaffar Market.

The area is now considered where the affluent people of West and Central Delhi go shop, with a busy shopping streets including Ajmal Khan Road, Arya Samaj Road and the Ghaffar Market, named after freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. In the recent years, many western businesses have established themselves in this area. Pizza Hut, TGIF, Reebok, Sketchers, Puma and Lacoste have all established successful businesses in Karol Bagh.. Many eateries also exist such as Pind Balluchi etc.

12/24 Karol Bagh (2009–2010), a recent TV series on Zee TV, was not only set in Karol Bagh, but was also shot and produced in Delhi, its subsequent success started the trend of many TV serials being set in Delhi.[7] Zoya Singh Solanki the central character in the rom-com novel by Anuja Chauhan, The Zoya Factor (2008) lives in Karol Bagh, who ends up becoming the lucky mascot for the Indian cricket team in the novel.[8]